Divepen1:
Thanks a lot jare ...

Uwlc

ExInferis:
Carl....Fred....Paul

Such 4-letter generic names.

This is another weak attempt at a genre so far no one on NL has gotten right.

And have you done something like this and gotten it right? You should just keep quite.

Divepen1
keep it up, I'm enjoying the story already.

Pioneer18:
Divepen1 keep it up, I'm enjoying the story already.

Thanks boss..

wow...a nice piece..mehn i lv ds

ExInferis:


lf.

Who is this guy?

Nice update.. Pls ride on...

ERF:



Who is this guy?

I don't know for him oo. People that can't even think on their own not to talk of writing stories��.

ERF:
Nice update.. Pls ride on...

Thanks boss.. I surely will

nice update

finalboss:
nice update

Thanks boss

7 Painful Knowledge
Carl walked with the others, dazed. He felt like ramming Sonia into the wall when he saw her. She was the reason they were there. Nothing could convince him otherwise. It was one thing to be obsessed with someone but orchestrating or influencing the person's kidnapping was terribly bad. She had just stolen him from his mother and he would fight that with all his might.
After Diana had introduced her to the recruits, she came to his side, looking stern.
'You will press this button', she said as she pressed a green button on the table. Her hand was shaking, but she took a great effort to keep it still.
'I should have known', Fred shouted from his seat. 'You're a filthy betraying, incorrigible, demented idiot', Fred railed from his seat. His handler leered at Sonia. Normally, Carl would have detested that, but then, the enemy of his enemy was his friend. He could sense the enmity between those two, and it felt good to be on the other side. Making Sonia his arch-enemy couldn't be scraped from his top priority, making an escape from the filthy place would go down a second-place on his to-do list.
'I'll kill you', Fred shouted as he began to move out of his seat.
His handler placed a firm grip on his shoulders and whispered something in his ears. Fred sat straight and smiled mischievously as he continually gave her a cold glare.
Carl threw her a quick glance. Her eyes seemed like that of a person without a soul, as if she didn't care what might happen to him. She looked at Carl. He heaved, shook and faced the table as the others were doing. The tables were empty and nothing indicated what he was to do next, but there was no way he would even give her audience. There was a black button sticking from the table as if it was peeping but was failing at doing that. He wondered what pressing it would do, but it would be irrational to press it. What if it led to the underground? He looked about and tried to spy on the way the others were doing, but he got nothing. That was what he meant when he said he wasn't supposed to be there. He was good at virtually nothing. The only thing he had won was while playing a game of chess, and that, according to his mother, was the reason he had the ability to hold his emotion in check until it was time to carry out the real act. So, even if it was his last day in that crazy world, he would ensure that he had his revenge. But it couldn't be in that dining room or in front of the whole lot of their army or the Peacelearners. It had to be something no one would ever expect.
'Press the button', Sonia said and placed her hand on his shoulder.
At that time, it looked as if the time had slowed down on its use. He slowly looked up at her, and said with clenched teeth. 'Don't you dare touch me.'
She withdrew her hand and pointed at the button. Iris threw him a quick glance. Her huge handler pulled her head towards her table.
'What?' Carl said.
'Face your button', Sonia said. 'And press it for crying out loud'.
Carl pressed the button and a large screen appeared on the table.
'Now make your choice of food. And try to pick all the food you might need. The order can only be made once. And you can't make a new one till the next time you are here to eat'.
Carl blinked repeatedly at the layers of food that laid before him. The table listed out a lot of food, one he couldn't imagine would be at his reach. In case they stayed for a longer time, he would ensure he chose one of each before he made his way out of the place. Since he was from Nigeria, they made sure his varieties were there. The food laid bare in front of him, and he felt gluttonous and didn't see anything bad in doing so. At least, if one was to die in a short while, one ought to do so with grace. He started by selecting the deserts, then proceeded to the drinks that comprised of palm wine, fermented millet drink and so much more. Although picking Palm wine was tempting, he didn't see a reason to pick it when he wasn't sure they preserved the freshness that characterized his type of Palm wine.
'Now press "enter"'.
'I can read', he said as he pressed 'enter'.
'I wasn't in charge of picking you', she said, bending to speak to him.
'How does that concern me? You knew', he whispered as he tried to control his anger.
'I didn't', she said, stood straight and shrugged. 'But I wouldn't be surprised'.
'Of course, when you could whisper names'.
'What are you insinuating?'
'It is very convenient to see two of us here- Freddy and me. Very convenient'.
'Even if you know nothing about me, you know I wouldn't have allowed that mule here'.
'That name can only be used by his friends, not some trickster'.
'Handlers', Diana called from the top. 'Now that you have done your job, you can move back till they are done eating'.
The handlers shifted and were on a straight line. Carl was dazzled by the way they did it without any plan. That means they are being trained to be a sort of soldier. Since they were kidnapped by those camouflaging soldiers, he was finding it hard to stop imagining the death of the man that gave him the micro card. The micro card? He hurriedly looked at his feet and saw that they were putting on leather shoe. That means, they had stripped them of all their possession. He did give Joyce before he left home. No, he dropped it on her table. Now, they were being provided for by this people. He would find his way out of the place to find his way home. Whatever that man wanted him to give Joyce was very important, and he was very stupid not to have hidden somewhere else.
'If you look at your table', Diana said.
Carl looked at his table and saw a time reading.
'You would see a time reading', Diana continued. 'It signifies the number of time remaining for you to finish eating'.
Carl eyes almost popped out of its socket. The countdown showed they had 75 seconds to finish eating.
'Are you for real?' Iris shouted and bent over her food.
Carl shook his head to ward off his thoughts about Sonia, Joyce and the old man as he rushed his food. He hated the excitement he saw on Fred's face. Fred was a fan of rushing food, and had won many competitions as regarding that. Most times, Carl would tease him about growing to the size of a hippopotamus but he wouldn't budge about food. According to him, he needed to eat a lot because he read a lot.
Immediately the countdown got to 00:00, the table slid open, and a round magnetic plate dragged their plates off the table-top into the opening. People around exclaimed.
'Are you for real?' Iris shouted.
Carl watched with surprise until he heard a noise. Someone had tried to hold onto the plate, but the machine was too fast that it pulled his hand with it. The person's handler hurriedly ran forward and hit a red button. The person removed his hands pushed back into his seat, sending it screeching as he tended to his hands.
'That's called a panic button', Diana said into the P.A System. 'It will only open if it senses that human's body is stuck in its teeth. So don't expect it to open for any other reason'.
Carl looked down and saw that the panic button was there also, but it was fading like the green one they used to summon the food screen. He stared at Fred, who shrugged. Regina waved at him and gestured at her head. He smiled. She had done something mischievous again. They really needed her to be close to them whenever they planned to escape. However, from what she had been saying, she found it exciting there. All he needed was to make her help him whether she loved to or not.
'Follow your handlers, they will direct you to your rooms', Diana said.
Carl expected them to move through the dining hall to their room, to sleep and prepare for the next day to know what would happen to them. But, they came out of the building and moved in an opposite direction. Carl looked about as he saw that the dining hall covered every other building that was behind it, making it look as if they were purposefully walled in. There were some fanciful buildings on the side of the dining hall. They were huge and were all made of glass, and had light reflecting from around it. Despite being made of glass; they still couldn't see the interior.
They marched on from the colored lights to the plain white light. The place was eerie because not even a single a cricket made any noise right there. The place they were headed had little or no light around it. He guessed that must be one of the training they were meant to have - to never take anything at face level.
'This road is bugged with crazy stuffs. They are not yet activated', Sonia said flippantly. 'By the time you will be coming out tomorrow, you have to be careful of them, they can be deceptive'.
'But why are you not telling me that?' Iris asked her handler from behind him.
'Who should guide who?' Her handler voice rumbled. 'If you don't listen to only what I teach you, you will meet yourself in the trial room. Or you will end up like her. She avoids all the trouble and we face all the trouble that's what we do'.
Carl wondered what the difference between Trial room and Punishment room was.
'So...' Iris said and her voice faded off.
Carl wished to see their faces. It would be a good thing to take his mind off his anger towards Sonia. The ground was unimpressive maybe because everywhere was dark or they kept moving as if they were climbing down from the top of a hill.
'So what?'
'Nothing'.
'Iris Cole, do you see me as a fool? If you are not careful, I will recommend you for the punishment room'.
Carl glanced at Sonia as she snickered.
'Why are you making sound, you Peacelearner?' Iris' handler said and pushed Carl.
Carl was perplexed and took a quick swipe of the hand at whoever she might be. One thing he had never learned to keep his cool around was bullying. He detested bullying and had never cared about its consequences. No one dared harass him because he was new. But Sonia was very fast, she caught his arm.
'You don't want to do that', she said.
'Leave my hand', Carl shouted at Sonia, who hurriedly released his hand. He brushed off the side she held. Others looked at them. One of the handlers said something to another handler up ahead and they sniggered. They continued walking as Iris' handler kept making bad comments about them, the Peacelearners and the old ones.
'And you...What were you about to say?'
Iris's voice pitched higher. 'I wanted to say. So, you want me to be like you?'
'That would be wise. If you really want to go far, you have to take the steps of those ahead'.
'Then, that's impossible. You are an slowpoke'.
People around made funny sounds. Sonia inhaled delightedly and shook her tongue.
Iris' handler shouted, 'Shut up! Every one of you. Shut up!'
Carl kept walking towards what was ahead of them, knowing they were in deep trouble from Iris' handler because she seemed to hate Iris and Sonia and him, indirectly.
The house ahead was very tall, but unlike others, it was deep in the woods. There were tall trees around it. Even in the darkness, he could see how horrible the place was, and that really surprised him. How would they use such a place for them when other buildings around were very beautiful? Sonia glanced at him and said, 'out of the ashes'.
Whatever that meant, he didn't want to find out the meaning. Even if he would, it was surely not from her. Everyone in front stopped. Carl also stopped beside Sonia, who had turned towards him as if she was staring at her most priced creation.
'To survive, you have to do what others don't want', Sonia whispered to him. 'Go to the top of the building to get the basic amenities others don't have. We are meant to leave you at this point. Remember, Greater purpose. Me and You. Be prepared'.
She turned towards the dining room and soon disappeared into the multicolored crowd of handlers.
Iris came near while some of the other walked off towards the house. There was something off about the house that made Carl feel there was something else to it. It was like gold, which could only be discovered when it had been made to go through rigorous drills. He would drill the place for things to make them enjoy their temporary stay and also for things that would be essential for escaping from that place.
Up ahead, there was a green light that looked like a laser. Many people were afraid of going into until someone stumbled into and nothing happened to him. Then, the others tool the initiative to cross the light.
Immediately they crossed the line, a mechanical voice congratulated and welcomed them to the home of the Peacelearners, where only the obedient and the wise enjoyed life. Afterwards, the computer went into series of history about the building. He would have loved to listen to how it was built, but it went on ranting about how many people stayed there for a single year and how many people made it out. If it had told him only about last year's result, Carl would rein his anger and hatred but when the computer started calling from 4000, he knew he was in a big problem.
'What do you think?' Iris said as she peered at the place from the top to the bottom of the building. It was so big that Carl had to strain his neck before he saw the top. That reminded him of what Sonia said. Even if he wanted to believe her, there was no way he would make it there that night. Yet, he didn't want to cuddle her idea especially now that he had seen her for the snake she was.
'Your handler didn't tell you anything', Carl asked.
'The girl behind me wants to be like you'.
'Why?'
'I don't know. I heard her say so. I guess it's because of your handler'.
'Then, I'll always trade places with her'.
'You don't want to, especially if you think of the dinosaur I have as a handler. I think she is really good'.
Carl stared up again, Iris tried to do the same, and groaned doing so. 'Sonia, my handler, told me to go to the top. But let me wait for'
Just at that time, Fred and Regina came towards them. Other Peacelearners were filing into the building acting all weird.
'Did your handler tell you anything?' Carl asked after he had introduced them - one to another.
'She only said I should find joy in any place I find myself, and I must agree with her', Regina said as she took Carl's hand and dropped a wrap of sweet into it.
'From your game box?' Carl asked as he unwrapped it absentmindedly.
'From the dining room. They didn't say we can't take away anything from the room. They only want us to figure it out but not let others know'.
Carl nodded, distracted as he calculated the distance from the bottom to the top. Even if he didn't get the exact time they would get to the top, he was sure that they would be extremely tired when they got to the top.
'You say it as if you are sure', Iris said as she rolled her neck.
'Guys, we can't stay here', Fred said.
'Where do we pick?' Iris ask.
'I'll pick the ground floor to easily get to anywhere I want', Regina said.
'As much as I hate what Sonia did, I still agree with her. The top floor is the best place'.
'Well, she didn't become the youngest handler by just staring at the building', Iris said. She blinked for a while. 'I'm tired, and I don't know why. I really want to rest. But I'll follow you guys. I don't know anyone else here'.
'I'm not sure I'll make it', Fred said, 'but I'll give it a try. My handler said I should copy your strategies. That he hates Sonia because her strategies were always right'.
'I like adventures. We might see things on the way to the top?' Regina said as she took the first step away from them towards the building.
'Then, let's get going', Carl said.
'Can I change you, guys' mind?' Iris said dejectedly. She wheezed as she looked at the top again. 'I don't think I can make it to the top'
'Then, we will' Carl said but was interrupted by Iris.
'Alone. I can't make it up there alone'.
'What? You wanted to stay down here. Have you seen the look of those guys on the ground floor? We can't survive around them', Regina said as she stared at Iris in utter disbelief, as if she was considering sleeping in a grave.
'Okay. You will lean on me', Carl said.
'Carl, we will...' Regina said and placed her hand on Carl.
He frowned as he brushed it off. 'We just met today and you've made me touch you at the wrong place and you are about to do something crazy again'.
Regina shrugged. 'Because I know nothing will happen between us. Besides what's the point? Statistically, handsome guys like you rarely ask out geeks like me. So, I'll pretend to be your sister and do what a sister will do to you like this', Regina said and placed her hand on his shoulder. Iris roared with laughter as they entered the house.

***
Richard glanced at the pad again as his car sped, and he wondered what still held him to the belief that he would get what he wanted. He looked at the clock and wondered what would ever happen if Tina could stop doting over him. He had shown her times without number that he wasn't in the act of sleeping his co-workers or married woman or any woman at all. He was a celibate. It helped him think better. Yet, she kept trying to make him fall for her. Several times, she had undressed in front of him, using it as a bait, but he had always overcome her. Nevertheless, he gave her credit for her persistence. Even a guy would have backed down if he was the one asking for such a thing from a woman.
Then, out of nowhere, a woman ran into the road. Richard slammed on the brake of the car. The woman looked haggard, and her eyes were wide with fear. She was being chased by many of those security drones, which had their red laser light trained on her. She ran to the empty side of the car, opened the door, and jumped into it, filling the car with the stench of what smelt like drainage.
'Drive. Drive... Drive this maggot', she screamed and hit the front board with so much aggression that Richard feared it would split into two.
From experience, Richard knew he mustn't stay around for her pursuer to have a clue about who he was or where they went. He switched off the front light of the car, and hurriedly wore his night vision glasses which he picked from under his seat.
'Who are you?' He said as he drove off to the place he reserved for such case as this. He wasn't one of the best in his field because he always followed the rules or always called for backup whenever there was a problem. He was the best because he planned eventualities. With him, there was always a conspiracy and a contingency plan.
'They took him away. They've killed her. They will know it was me'; she said, breathing hard.
'Cool your nerve lady. Cool it. You're not making sense'.
'I know but everything is not making sense to me'.
'What are you talking about? Who are you? Who are they?' He said as he took his time to look at her now. She should be in her early forties, and from the necklace she wore, he was sure she either came from a wealthy home or was involved with someone from a wealthy home. But, if she was from a wealthy home, her hand wouldn't be wrinkled with ages and hard work. She was white. She was a lover of someone important.
'Did anything happen to your lover?'
'Yes... Just get me out of here'.
He nodded. At that period that people were disappearing, he didn't see a reason to help her, but his guts loved what it saw. And he was following it, irrespective of the consequence.
They had just turned a corner when two cars joined the numerous, regular cars on the street. The drones were still following them, and he knew he had to make them stop tracking him. He knew who the people in the cars were, and he smiled. Just what he needed at that time - a bit of fun and some shooting. Richard licked his lips and dragged out a box from the bottom of the other seat. Inhaling the coldness that came with them, he closed his eyes for a brief moment. They smelt good and made him smile. He caressed the pistols, speed-dialed number '4' on his phone, and knew it was time to play games.
***
'Did any of you find anything?’ The authoritative lady said as they gathered. Joyce had made the suggestion that they searched through the rail for anything that showed they could move down from whatever they were on or in. While they were doing that, the authoritative lady's job was to keep counting numbers until the last one of them returned.
Amidst the wailing, the stench, and the incessant grumpiness from people, they made their way back.
'I don't know if it's useful, I saw a sort of rope', someone said.
'Where's it?' Joyce asked.
'I can't...I don't remember where it is'.
'That's very wise of you', the authoritative lady said and groaned. 'I wish I could squeeze you right now'.
'Where's the place?'
'I don't know'.
'He doesn't know', the authoritative lady said. She had an accent from a country Joyce didn't know which. Accents were the major things that differentiated everybody in the world. Despite their prowess, they still always had that factor in their speech. In schools, the teachers always deducted marks for accents during tests and exams.
'Then, let's find it. Because I'm so tired of this darkness. The thought of it is killing', Joyce said. 'And, let's hold hands'.
Searching for the way out would take them a tiring long time, but she was happy to search for it. Like Carl would say, that meant there was hope.

Wow, why did it take so long to update this story? I almost forgot about it. Nice and interesting update I must say.

Fazemood:
Wow, why did it take so long to update this story? I almost forgot about it. Nice and interesting update I must say.

I wanted to go one after the other

Okay, let's go

queenitee:
Okay, let's go

Rubs hand

8 Shaky Salvation
Richard watched the cars behind him perform their act of deceit as they tried to move in opposite direction. He stopped the car abruptly and reversed with such speed that woman screamed and clutched the sides of the chair.
'Who are you?' The woman yelled as she sat as if the chair was a doorway into a safe haven.
'I should ask you', he said with a big grin on his face. 'You came out of nowhere, pursued by some dangerous people and you didn't come to anybody, you came to the best PI in town'.
'A PI? What's that? Pie chart?'
'Private investigator, woman. Don't you watch movies at all? Those things are meant to teach you things like this'.
'So I will watch movies in this era if you don't Please, don't kill me before they do', she yelled as he spun the wheel. 'Drive this thing carefully'.
'So what brought you here?'
'Go. Go. When we are somewhere safe', the woman shouted as she firmly gripped the seat.
'From what I'm seeing', Richard said as he watched other cars join them on the road. 'These people are after something big. Whatever information you have must be very big. They would never make you get to anywhere safe. Well Unless I do'.
'I don't have any information. It was my Gabriel that did'.
'Gabriel who? Oh God', Richard said as he glanced into the rearview mirror. Whoever was after the woman had a lot of influence. They seemed to know where to go. He drove into the dark and stopped at the edge of a forest.
'Come down', he shouted as he saw the headlights of the numerous cars. He was surprised at the way they had increased within a few minutes. If he was a member of that team, his heart would literally burst from excitement. The funniest part was that they weren't acting like those ones that came after him at first. These ones were daring and didn't seem to care about the consequences. The drones were soon humming above him, and he knew he had been made.
A red light played on the woman's chest. 'Get down', Richard screamed as he flew on her. She yelled as they both crumbled on the floor just as a gunshot hit the tree near them. He had never had such encounter as that. Laying on a woman. It felt... He shook his head. That was it; his claim was just proven right; having sex with a woman would ruin every little chance he had of thinking straight. A gunshot flew past them and struck a tree. Then the gunshots increased.
'Get off me, pervert', the woman shrieked and pushed him off her.
'Shut up! Follow me. I just saved your life', he grumbled as he crawled off into the wood. That place was the only place in Nigeria that was being out-grown by forest. According to the world leaders, they wanted the ecosystem to increase. They said humans need the forest. Richard looked back, and tried to make a mental calculation of the situation on the ground. The shooter's view from where they were positioned would only be able to get to their waists up to their heads. A rock was blocking his view.
'If you want to live, then you have to do as I say and stop seeing perverts. I'm a celibate'
The woman burst into laughter and stopped herself. 'You're deceiving yourself'.
'Shut up and do be fast', he crawled into the bush as fast as he could.
'What have I gotten myself into? Is it a bad thing to be loved by a wealthy man?'
'So, all this is for money'
'Money? Don't you see that these ones have enough money? They can take down the world'.
Her rambling wasn't helping the situation at hand. Richard looked up and saw just what he needed. 'Run...'
They ran into the bush, where Tina was waiting for him. She wore black jeggings and a black sweater, a black hood, black hand-gloves, and black sneakers. She handed over a torchlight to him, and walked off into the bush with another torchlight in her hand. He didn't need to be told that her Glock 17 was in her other hand. She turned to him.
'Now, you owe me', she said and turned back towards the bush. 'Again'.
'Where are we going?' The woman asked as she hobbled to meet up with Tina.
'To know what's wrong with you', Richard said as he walked past her.
'I know what's wrong with me? The second son of the world leader is missing and everyone that I hired to search for him is either disappearing or found dead'.
'But he's on TV'.
'Who is on TV? Are you blind?'
Tina spun and grabbed the woman by the throat. The woman croaked until Richard ran towards them.
'Not now, Thin'.
Tina released her and marched off. 'You were saying?'
'You crazy'
'Quit talking and keep walking'
'He is not the one. Maybe he is a clone. I must find him because my friends that searched for him are dead'.
Tina turned again. 'And you want us dead too'.
Richard stopped in his track as he wondered if he was making the right choice.
***
'I think I found something', someone yelled. 'Yes, I found the rope'.
They gathered slowly round it. Since their hands were linked, it didn't take long before they all got to the place the rope was.
'So, who will volunteer to go first?' The authoritative lady said. Joyce was petrified. That wasn't the plan. The lady said she would be first.
'Why are you going back on your word?' Joyce asked.
'On my word?' The lady said, and Joyce could sense the sarcasm in her voice.
'Yes You said you would go first', someone else said
'I never said such I said would leave here by all means'.
'You...'
'I'll go first', another lady said.
Joyce felt about in the darkness. No one knew who was going and what would happen to the person.
'Are you sure you're ready?' Joyce asked.
'Yes...'
'All the best. Just know that whatever happens down there, I'll be the next after you and I'll keep to my word'.
'But wait...' One of them said. 'What if the light comes on?'
'If you are thinking well', the authoritative lady said. 'You will know that we have been here for hours. It's either we die of hunger or any other thing. But I prefer dying while trying'.
'I'm ready', the lady said.
Joyce heaved a sigh and wished she could see her, but the darkness was too thick.
The lady slid down.
'What do you feel?'
'Space... It looks as if we are on a mountain. As if we are hung in space'.
'So we will die', someone muttered.
Joyce was angry this time. 'Hey! Are you part of us? If you are not part of us, move away. We don't need anyone to dissuade us'.
'I am sliding down', the lady shouted in a singsong manner. Her voice began to fade. She yelled, and became silent. Breaths stopped including that of Joyce. Then, the lady shrieked continuously and became silent. They were beyond terrified. Many of them whimpered and shifted back, hitting one another.
Suddenly everywhere began to buzz with their questions. But the authoritative lady shouted for order and they all obeyed again.
'Did she die?' Someone asked.
'What's her name?' The authoritative lady said and shouted, 'are you there?'
Her voice bounced back.
'Something is off', Joyce said as she found her way to the rail.
'What is off?'
'See for yourself', Joyce said and turned to the other side and shouted, 'are you there?'
Her voice echoed. 'Can you hear that?'
'What exactly are we looking for?' The authoritative lady said.
'I think the ground is not that far. If she shouted and stopped shouting, then something is wrong with her'.
'How do you know that? It can also mean she is dead'.
'Ah... I shouldn't have gone to that party', someone lamented.
'Will you shut that hole?' The authoritative lady shouted in the direction of whoever was crying. The person kept quiet and no one else talked as if they wanted her to confirm their fears.
'I have to go and see if she is fine'.
'Accept my condolence in advance', the authoritative lady said. 'I'll come after you'.
Joyce gritted her teeth as she found her way to the rope. She pulled it as she carefully climbed the rail. She held the rope and began to move gently. She tied the rope around her waist and began to slide down the best way she could.
'Are you still there?'
'Something like that?'
'Keep hanging on'.
Joyce glided down the rope, and was still hanging on until she got the end of the rope. Suddenly, the rope snapped and she shrieked.
'Are you okay?'
How would you know if she was okay? Desperately trying to control her breathing, she held firmly to the rope. Her hold was failing but now her life depended on it. She shouldn't have given that girl her words. The rope seemed to be lighter than when she held it and it had become less trustworthy.
There must be a way down from this place. She must find a way. Like the first time, the rope loosened and she screamed louder, then it stopped again. However, this time, something oily poured on her face. She shrieked. Some things that felt like bees buzzed around her face, she screamed louder as the rope snapped. If not for the way she had tied the rope, she might have fallen. The rope loosened gradually. She squealed. Maybe that would be the last time she would ever shriek in her life.

Scary

so scary

9 Grit
Joyce screamed as her hands tried but failed to hold the rope. The knots of the rope around her body had slacked. She grabbed the rope again. Death seemed to draw near and she dreaded the feeling of its cold hand. She kept yelling as she fell until the rope became springy. She sighed and whooped. Everything was still dark. But, she felt lucky. Suddenly, someone swiftly tied a tape around her mouth. Surprised, she struggled for her life, and kicked into the emptiness of the air. She tried screaming. It was of no use. The person dragged her off the soft springy thing.
'No noise. This is part of the test'.
She allowed herself to be led away in the dark. When they had walked for a long time, they came out into an open field. The person wore a mask and the same cloth as they. Only that hers was black and not silver. The lady removed her mask to reveal a brunette.
'Welcome to Etyes - Home of Peacemakers', the girl said. 'I'm your handler. You're not to ever tell a soul, not even me, how to get out of the ground. The computer's algorithm here would detect it in your speech and send you somewhere worse'.
Joyce nodded. The lady led the way and Joyce loved that opportunity. Joyce's body was draped in the black oil that filled that place. Surprised at the beauty of everything, she hoped that the P.I man was right about Carl. The lady pointed to a house that was different from the others.
'That's our stop. Rather, that's your home, along with the others'.
'What would you say is our essence here?'
'Like every normal human being, we were born to die. Now you can go there', her handler said and stopped. The place looked like an ancient building, tall but incomparable to the luminous houses at the other end.
'Don't Stop' Her handler shouted and pushed her away from something on the floor. They both fell on to the hard rough ground. Joyce winced. Her handler was panting hard against her chest. She rose and stretched her hand to pull Joyce up. Pain surged through her body as they struggled to get up. Her handler groaned.
'These things are not supposed to be active till tomorrow morning', her handler murmured as she tried to balance herself. The ground sort of groaned under her weight. She inhaled sharply and pushed Joyce aside. 'Get away'.
The ground shifted and opened under her handler, who yelled as she was swallowed into the same pit. Traumatized, Joyce crawled and clawed away from the place her brunette handler had just fallen into. She looked up and saw a countdown ahead - ten seconds to door-close. She glanced again at the place her handler had fallen into, and ran with all her might for the uncompleted house. Maybe the next day, she would offend someone to make sure that she returned to the underground to get her handler back. Her handler had just fallen into a ground that swallowed, saving her. The door was closing gradually alongside the countdown. She slid through at the nick of time. Assured that she was fully in the system, she pressed the tracker in her hand, and hoped it wouldn't be a futile effort, hoped she would be the one to get the glory allotted to the case.
***
Carl pulled Iris up again as he watched Regina and Fred pull themselves up the stairs. The top looked nearer now, and the light was receding. Iris was weary and irritated as she climbed the last stairs.
'I hope all these troubles worth our time', Iris grumbled as she stomped the last steps. By now, no sound came from the bottom floors. 'This is all your fault; we could have just Wow'.
Carl who had been waiting to support the panting Fred and the weak Regina looked up. Whatever Iris had seen at the top of the building must really be something great. He ran up the stairs to meet her. If there was light at the top of the stairs, he would have seen her face, but he didn't. Even when he got to the top and saw the darkness, and glanced at her face, the only thing he could see was the darkness that had been gathering round them in the stair.
'Oh no', he exclaimed.
'You got something?' Fred said, bouncing up the stairs with Regina breezing past him with the same agility she had at the beginning of their first meeting. They pushed into Iris, who could only moan in frustration because in front of them wasn't a grand building. It was an empty cave. There was no exit at the other end. And if there was any, they couldn't see it because the place was dark.
'You led us down here', Iris shouted at him.
'You mean up here', Regina corrected.
'Whatever He should have let us pick one of the ground floors. Why did I follow you people initially?'
Carl could only swallow as he tried to grasp why Sonia had sent them up there when she knew there was nothing up there for them.
'Oh, your precious Sonia', Carl said as he shifted back till his back touched a wall.
'She tried to help us. I might be angry at her, but she tried to help you', Fred replied.
'Don't tell me anything I should have trusted my-'
'Yourself?' Iris said. 'Yourself? Your what? Your senses that never worked since we got here'.
The rest flopped to the ground. Iris kept rambling and he was very sure he would soon give in to his emotion, to reply her in the rudest of way if she didn't zip her mouth. Regina was too weak to even reply any of them. He glanced into the darkness and the only that came back to his memory was how he was in the train that brought them. If this darkness was like that one, then there was surely a light at the darkness, but he just couldn't see how this one would come.
'Does that mean we're going down again?' Iris asked disdainfully.
'Where else?' Fred asked.
'We are returning down there To the bottom, around the fourteenth floor', Regina said.
'Perfect!' Iris bellowed and flopped back noisily into the wall.
'About 14 floors from here?' Exclaimed Fred. 'We're so foolish. But Regina, why do you think so?'
'Didn't you notice that those places were locked with a big note saying "LOCKED"?
Carl traced the wall into the darkness. If they would keep reminding him of how he was stupid to have followed Sonia's plan, he could agree with them through and through. He walked on counting his steps per time. Very soon he would find a place comfortably out of their earshot. Yet, he must take his steps carefully. Even if there wasn't light there, even if he wasn't sure he wouldn't fall into another ditch, he preferred to be away from their rants and ramble.
Suddenly, he stepped into what looked like a light. The light was dim like a shadow of a real light. It didn't reflect like every other lights are known for. His first step was in a place with light. He wanted to call the others, but it was better to discover it very well for himself than for him to give them a false hope again. He peeped and saw the light. The place was illuminated by the various lights he saw when they first got there. The place was like a minimart. It contained a lot of gadgets. He entered the light fully. The light didn't reflect on him as if the light wasn't made to reflect. To the right were rooms. Ten rooms in all. Immediately he entered, his name appeared at the second one. And on the first door, the word 'entrance/exit appeared
The other end of the hall had a small store that contained different things- Cloth, videos, music. Two doors appeared at the other end and on them appeared the words- Toilets. He smiled.
'Guys' He yelled and turned, but he had to stop talking the moment he turned. Standing right in front of him was a glass blockage. The funniest part of it was that he could see the three of them sitting firmly, and on the top of the glass was a timer which read:
Timer: 5.54. 42
Duration: 1/4
'When you enter through the stairs door, you can't go back the same way', a computer voice said.
He rushed to the glass and hit it repeatedly, but all he could see was Iris' mouth rambling, and Fred dejectedly hitting his head on the wall, while Regina laid her head on Fred's shoulder.
'Open this thing', he shouted.
'No exit or entry after initial entry'.

Wow, interesting Bro. Next!

Wow... I never really liked science fiction until i read this. Nice one Divepen1

Charminee:
Wow...
I never really liked science fiction until i read this. Nice one Divepen1

Thanks for following all through...

10 Door
Richard hurried the woman through the forest. They couldn't switch on any light since the men were still onto them. The woman looked about and mumbled incoherent things. The drones flew erratically overhead
Richard wished there was enough time to check out what was happening. He wished he could have a little time with the men in the forest, to disfigure them with the bullets from his gun. It would have been a great thing to have a shootout, something to increase the heat in his body. Tina glanced back at him, and if it were to be daytime, he would have seen her look of 'you owe me'. He owed her in many ways, but she had always refused his offer to help. The only thing she wanted from him was to lose his celibacy.
'You see. This is my last favour', Tina pressed the key as they climbed into an underground tunnel. That was why they always chose the forest as their means of escape.
'I don't how I will repay you. You've never needed a favour from me'.
'Why will I need one?'
'You're proud. Tell me what you like. I'm not forgetting any of them'.
'You know what I want and would always want. You're only trying to be difficult'.
She dropped into the driver's seat and he sat beside her. The woman scrambled into the back seat.
'There's going to be a lot of shooting...' Richard said as he checked for his night vision glasses.
'So you have to drop your head if you want to live', Tina said.
'Yes. Lie flat. Ma'am. It's for your safety'.
'I'm not Ma'am, I'm.'
'It's your own. If you like, sit still while the gunshots begin', Tina said with clenched teeth as she released the brake of the car, and allowed it to slide away without starting the car. The car as if tuning to their fear, didn't make any sound. Richard kept glancing back. He was happy he wasn't looking at the woman's face. She might have called him a pervert again. What was the feeling he had the other time? He felt it jolt through him.
'Get set for the bullets', Tina grumbled as the car began to go down a sloppy road. Richard looked into the sky and saw red lights from the drones in numerous numbers. Faint sounds of helicopters geared him up. And he hoped he could see them so as to know his focus.
The moment the car started skidding to a halt, Tina started the engine. Immediately, a helicopter beamed its light on their Sedan. She cringed, inhaled and played rock music. In a few seconds, gunshots rained from different corners towards them.
'I'm so happy you brought this sedan', Richard yelled as he retrieved the guns they hid in different strategic places in the car.
She smirked, and shouted, 'I, always, am ready.'
He nodded. They were always ready. He cocked his gun, ready to shoot.
'Not now'.
He nodded as he spied the woman lying on the ground. The rock music blasted in the car and the car moved at its highest speed, the way she loved it.
'There', Richard pointed at a hole. She pressed a button on the car. The car suddenly began to dance on a rough road, yet Tina didn't reduce the speed with which she drove the car.
'Stop! Slow down', the woman screamed from where she laid. Richard knew the intensity with which Tina could drive when allowed. She loved the action and lived on it.
'The sub...' she hinted. Richard nodded repeatedly, knowing what to expect.
'Hold tight, Ma'am', Richard turned as the flood of cars' light gradually turned to their direction.
'Your mama is a Ma'am', the woman shrieked from the back of the car.
She plunged the car into the sub. The subway had various tunnel points. As a Blanj Investigator, the first thing one learnt was the destination of each tunnel in their various localities. Tina swung the car towards the third turning, and then sped off into the dark hole.
'You can sit up here', Richard said to the woman whose legs were vigorously shaking.
They kept turning corners until they got to the door to the secret workplace the two of them had always prepared for any war. They've been preparing to start their own P.I company, and have started getting recruits. All they needed was an opportunity like this.
When they got there, Tina brought out a remote control, pointed it at the wall, and the wall slid up. She believed they shouldn't allow their door come from the top. With that, it would be hard for anyone to enter and escape from the place. They were yet to give it a name. However, even if they were to give it a name, Tina would be given such job because she was good at those kind of things. They drove in.
'Sweetie, I'm home', Tina said the moment they got out of the car. The place suddenly came to life with lights and computers. The computers slid out of the floor. Soon, the place had a big frame computer slide out at the center of the big communication room. Different robots hummed about as they began to wipe the dust off the computers, and other gadgets in the room. 'Madam, sit down', Richard said, and the woman did after grumbling about being called Madam.
'What's your name?' Tina said as she began to pull off her shirts.
The woman still rattled, sat up. She was surprised that Tina would pull off her cloth in their midst. Richard smirked as he shook his head at Tina.
'What's your name?'
'It's Katrina'.
'Katrina what?'
'Katrina Rich '.
Richard stood straight, and said, 'Sweetie, search for her info'.
Tina removed her pants and hobbled towards one of the computer. 'Oh, my baby', she said caressing the computer.
Richard turned to the large-screened computer as it began to process the information. 'So, who are you?'
The information on the screen read that she was a Nigerian, who changed location to America, the capital of the world, and only just returned to Nigeria, three weeks before.
'It's a long story', Katrina said.
'Then, start from the valuable places'.
'What do you mean? See, I don't have time'.
Richard knew Tina, she could make even the boldest person in the world have a little doubt about his confidence. 'Thin, leave her and stop that... all this...Get out'.
'Stop what? You said you are a celibate. So, there's no need to be afraid of my clothes being pulled off'.
'At least, respect the gentle woman'.
Tina burst into laughter. 'This woman, gentle? Can't you see her profile? She had been running all this while. And did you check the last place she worked? She is a qualified LovePeddler'.
Richard swallowed hard and buckled his lips as he looked from the screen to the woman seated there. He raised his head. 'Then accord my belief some respect'.
Tina sneered. 'Nah. This is your life. You're my friend. I want the best for you'.
The woman stared at them as if they were playing table tennis. Her head moved from side to side in a bid to follow their conversation.
'So, tell me, what do they have on you?' Tina said as she walked back to one of the chairs and pulled off her underwear. Richard turned. Tina was rigged with stubbornness.
'I knew that something had happened to my boyfriend. Oh God! He planned to marry me'. She sniffled and began to cry.
'See this won't help. Tell us something. Sweetie...Give me fresh clothes'.
Tina dropped her clothes on a plank, which immediately moved her clothes away. From another end of the place, a robot rolled a mini wardrobe towards them. She got a bum short, and hurriedly wore it.
'He's the second son of the world leader'.
'So...'
'He has some information on them'.
'Information', Tina said and caressed the word with her pronunciation. She was the side of him that never talked. He loved information. She sat close as she wore her clothes seated across the woman.
'The thing is I'm not sure I heard well but in his drunken state he told me about the top leader being in charge of some drastic information'.
'Where is it?'
'I can't tell you'.
'Why?'
'I can't tell anyone until he's dead. That's what he made me promise'.
Tina looked morose. 'So, what are we sitting for? Go back to the place you're coming from'.
She rose and grabbed the woman by the neck, and dragged her towards the door. The woman fought vehemently, but it was of no use to the firm grip of Tina.
'Tina...'
'Don't you dare come nearer, don't you dare'.
'Hold on. Let her say how she knew'.
Tina released her grip. Katrina buckled up and panted for breath. Richard had always wondered how someone as tiny as Tina would have the power to rattle people bigger than she.
'He's alive. But not on this earth'.
Tina blinked repeated and threw a glance that made him know if he didn't intervene in time, Katrina would be shown the door.
'What's she saying?'
'I have...' She dipped her hands into her bra and removed a very small gadget. 'This. He gave me to always know if he was alive'.
The object was small but kept reading like an Electrocardiograph machine. Tina snatched it.
'Was that why you were being chased?'
The woman shook her head. The fear in her eyes showed she would do anything to remain safe.
'When he disappeared, I told my friend to help me search for him. He's good with such things like you people. But he died mysteriously. And anybody I asked also went missing. So I decided to do some research myself. That was when I followed them to something like a big ship. They had a lot of children in it. Then one of them saw me and wrote my death sentence'.
Tina and Richard glanced at one another.
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'It means that they are after me for knowing'.
Tina shared a glance with Richard, and said, 'I think we are after you now. Seat your prostitute-self into your seat'.
He brought his pad, and saw that Joyce had activated the tracker. Hurriedly, he sent it to their computer analysts, who were eager to help him because helping Richard was like helping the leader of Blanj.
When he was done with them, he turned to the woman, and dragged a seat nearer to her.
***
Carl slept off while watching them.
'Incoming' The boisterous voice of the computer warned.
Carl jumped from his sleep and looked about.
'Where is Carl?' Iris said.
She felt her way on the wall. He still wondered how he could see them but they couldn't see the light from the other end. The regular idea of things was that people in the dark would see those in the light, not vice versa. If there was any answer to his surprise and everything he ever wondered about, he didn't have time to answer before Iris entered and shrieked delightedly. He smiled as he rose to meet her, making sure he replaced the cork of the bottle of apple juice he was drinking and firmly placed it on the ground.
'Carl? Can you see this?' She said and looked about, still awed. Then she caught sight of the can of drink and the wraps of chocolate. If she was awed before, she was now bemused. Blinking repeatedly, she moved back. 'So you knew?'
'Knew what?'
'You were here since yesterday and doing what? Revering in the fact that you were right after all'.
'I wasn't revering in anything. I was'
'I should have guessed you're this type of person. I was even searching for you, afraid that something bad might have happened. You're not trustworthy. Not one bit'.
Suddenly, an alarm blared and she turned towards the other side. All the information on the screen was still intact. Only a new one had been added to it: Peacelearners, five minutes to get to the rendezvous point.
'This thing is lying right? Iris said as she ran into a wall of glass, and groaned. Carl inhaled loudly and rushed to her side.
'Sorry'.
She brushed his hand off and returned to the glass, searching everywhere for the way out. 'That's why you never came back for us. How do we leave here?'
'The elevator'.
She nodded and stared at the Fred and Regina. The two of them woke one after the other, and searched around for Carl and Iris. Fred pulled her towards the stairs, but she adamantly refused to go as she tried to find her way around the darkness. Iris rolled her hand continuously, urging them on. Fred kept trying to find her hands to draw her away, but he kept hitting the air.
'Iris, we should go'.
'As you always do, leaving everyone behind'.
'But the time'
'Will be there forever'.
Regina was slow, but she stepped in just as Fred held her hand. She pulled him, but his strength was more than hers and he succeeded in pulling her back into the darkness. However, she slipped out of his hands, and returned to trying to put her leg forward. Carl rushed to it and held it, using the glass as a support. She screamed and tried to pull away, but he dragged it. Iris, guessing what he was doing, assisted him in pulling her. She shrieked and held on to Fred, who saw that as a confirmation of his fear. He pulled her with all his strength. But Carl had the advantage of the glass. They dragged her into the hall, and Fred ram into them, shouting his head off. He yelled and stopped midway. He glanced at them, then at the place and smiled, and then laughed and laughed harder.
'You guys fooled us'.
'Alright, let's get going. No time now'.
'How did this place sneak up on us without knowing', Regina asked as she pushed into Carl in the elevator.
'I'll explain to you on the way', Iris said.
The countdown timer was also in the elevator. They had just one minute and thirty seconds to get there.
'We are so screwed', Iris muttered. 'We would enter that hole'.
They looked around in the elevator to discover it had no button. Carl wasn't sure he could disagree with Iris' fear. They even went to the length of lifting their legs to assure themselves that the buttons weren't under their feet.
'How do we go down now?' Regina asked.
'The voice Computer go down', Fred said.
Immediately, the elevator bus moved down. On the way, Regina who had gotten the scope of what happened took turns with Fred to explain their theory that everything in Etyes was voice automated. Carl hoped it was true because it would be very crazy to run into an obstruction and it refuse to move when he told it to do so.
The moment the elevator opened, they rushed out to join others running.
'Remember the ground', Iris shouted.
Carl looked down just in time to avoid what looked like a trap. Yet, he was luckier than a young guy who fell through, screaming his head off. They ran on towards a big screen that read:
'Peacelearners rendezvous here in 00:57'.
The more they ran the more they met traps. It took Iris' sharp, trained eyes to know the right place to step. The time was fizzling out and the numbers kept reducing. Iris cried out her instructions to them, making other Peacelearners notice and start following them. When they got to the front, they met Diana standing like a statue at the end of the podium.
'How come we are meeting Diana today?' Carl complained amidst his heavy pants.
'Your girlfriend?' Iris whispered.
'Argh! The others said there were other instructors'.
'I was part of the others. And yes, she was one of the instructors'.
They turned in time to see a big glass move from the ground skywards. Jonathan Zane was also late. He jumped on the elevating glass wall amidst the surprising look and squeal of the others. He struggled on the glass despite the fact that his leg kept slipping off. The others outside saw it as a good idea, but before they could give it a try, the ground had opened. The noise of their screams filtered to the other side. Regina held Carl's hand, and he sighed. Jonathan held on to the top and squealed, provoking laughter from some Peacelearners. The glass gradually slid down until he was able to jump into their side of the ground. He rolled off and laid on his back, panting. He was a fighter. That was someone Carl would really love to help out of that place. There was something about him that was worth emulating or using.
'Orderliness, everyone. Computer, Orderliness'.
Immediately, a part of the ground around opened and an iron bar rose from the ground. The iron bar was connected with an iron chain and to another iron bar in front. They both began to straighten as the iron stands also did the same. He looked around to see that five of these same links were at different places.
'Now, everybody be in line', Diana said into the public address system.
They hurriedly did that. This time, everyone was careful not to fall into the error of falling victim of the open ground. The others lined up around and behind him.
'How come we got here before the others?' Regina asked.
'Yes. We were at the top floor ', Fred said.
Carl looked up to see the source of the light of that place. If the sun was there, it would give a little direction of where they were. But the light up there wasn't the sun.
'Handlers', Diana called. The handlers stood straight on the front row. Sonia looked on with a straight face that if he didn't hate her, he would have looked for a way to catch her attention. 'Those, whose apprentice had been taken to the punishment room, should go to the dark chamber and wait till their apprentice comes. You know how to survive there'.
Some of the handlers checked their wristwatches, and stepped out. With a derisive face, and a mocking smile, Diana waved as they filed out towards a road. Carl stared at them.
'Peacelearners, look for your Handler. They would lead you to the next phase'.
Carl marched towards the podium and headed for Sonia.

Fazemood:
Wow, interesting Bro. Next!

Here...

11 Activating the Key
The moment the alarm rang, Joyce, like everyone in that rickety house, jumped out of her bed. Normally such noise would have meant nothing to her, but having gone through yesterday's ordeal, she knew jumping out of the bed was the wisest thing to do. And true to her imagination, she saw a timer counting down and knew that without further ado that she had to race her way to the venue. Alongside the others, the smelly ones, the lanky ones, the grumpy ones, the fat ones, she ran towards the rendezvous point. Running, for her, wasn't always a problem, but she was too unfortunate the last time to be engrossed in trying to put the details of the place to mind that she didn't see the countdown until it was too late.
The instructions given to her by her handler, whose falling still hurt her, lingered in her mind. The craziest part of this place was her not telling anyone how she got out. She was supposed to have at least a soul she could share the effect the punishment room had on her, and she had to tell anyone who cared how to get away from the place. She didn't even see the other girl that jumped out of the place.
As she watched others slide into the punishment room, she wondered if it would be spacious enough to take everyone that must have fallen into it. The place was built in such a way that anyone who fell into it would surely survive. A lady with blond hair dished out instructions. From the mutterings of people around, she got that her name was Diana.
After Diana told others to meet their handlers, Joyce looked about because she was without a handler. The only place her eyes could rest on was Diana's robot-like face. They both quizzically stared at one another. She could bet all her properties that Diana was a heartless killer. She remained transfixed and was sure that any bad encounter with Diana would have her wetting her pants. Hurriedly, she pulled her eyes away from the Diana.
Then, she caught sight of someone that looked like a lady in their school. The lady was a class above her and Carl. She was always fond of teasing Carl, which Joyce brushed aside as one of those things that were common around Carl. She never cared to note her name because Carl always had a way of making sure his emotions weren't betrayed. Well, except when she was teasing him, she was the only one that had learnt to really crack him up.
Although she didn't trust this lady, she knew the lady had a connection with her being at Etyes. And if the P.I was right, she should expect to see Carl there.
Just then, she saw Carl in front of her. She beamed delightedly and fondled the place the man had inserted the transmitter.
'Someone joined us yesterday, but lost her handler immediately she gained entry into Etyes. So, she needs a new handler', Diana said with a queer excitement that sent cold into Joyce's spine.
The handlers looked up at her. Joyce could swear she saw excitement in their faces.
A hand flung into the air, and Diana, with a straight face, stiffly turned to the owner of hand. 'Yes...?'
'I choose her', the lady from her school pointed at Joyce.
'Erm...' Diana glanced at a notepad. 'Joyce, you have been chosen by the young Sonia'.
She walked towards Sonia and grinned. It doesn't matter what they were to do there, she could survive anything when she was beside Carl. He would do everything to make her stay in line with her. They were in love.
Sonia led them away towards a fenced building. The gate of the building was small, one had to crawl through it. Over this small gate was written 'Peacelearners' Training Ground'. Joyce squeezed Carl's hand as they walked off into whatever was waiting for them. He smiled and closed his eyes.
Everyone walked briskly towards their training ground. Many of the other handlers crawled through the gate, but with such skillfulness that intrigued others. However, Sonia, slid through in such a way that Joyce wondered if she had been training to use that door every day of her life.
When they entered the building, Joyce's mouth opened in such surprise that she had never seen before. Most fields she had seen were usually big, but not so big that one wouldn't see the end. This one was just like that. When they got to the field, they stopped at the edge of the lawn. Lines ran from that edge to the middle of the field and disappeared. She looked up at Carls face, and saw a look of disgust in it. He was probably planning to escape from that place.
'Your task is simple', the lady from their school said, 'you will run to and fro twenty times'.
'Twenty?' She asked and glanced at Carl, who seemed angry for no reason.
'Start already', the lady said as she pressed a green button that bulged from a silver stand. There were several of these silver stands at every place a handler could be seen. A chair emerged from the ground. The lady sat in it and pressed another button on the arm of the chair.
A board shot out of the arm of the chair. The lady rapidly tapped some things on the board. A sort of line mapped out racing lines for them and they stepped into it.
'Shoo. Run already'.
With a chiming tone following their race, they continued running.
'What's that girl name?' Joyce asked amidst her pant as they went down the road.
'Sonia'.
'Her demise is so near', she said.
'Like Matthias'.
'Like Matthias. I was never arrested'.
They kept running. Funnily, the road kept going and made her wonder if she would ever get to the end. When they looked back and saw that she wasn't in view, Carl dragged her to himself and kissed her in such a way that showed his relief at seeing her. She smiled.
'Why are you not running?' Sonia's voice boomed so near.
They turned to see a screen near them, Sonias face in the screen, and a scowl on her ravishing face. If Joyce wasnt also beautiful, she would have felt inferior to her.
'Run off, Lover birds'.
***
Diana sent Joyce the ping after confirming that her own room was secured. It wasn't her shift, so she returned to her quarters. Like she always did, as soon as she entered her room, she ensured she did a clean sweep of the room. She switched off the light, closed all the window, plunging the room into darkness. Then, she brought out her pinhole camera, switched it on, and used it to scan her room until it caught a red light.
That was it. She smirked and went to the spot, switching on a small torchlight. She was delighted as she wondered why the authorities of Etyes would never learn their lessons. Her superior had always wanted to pry into her private life to no avail. She withdrew her pocket knife and removed the camera.
Then, she brought out her own RF signal detector, which she had rigged with a spectrum analyzer. She made sure it had the same size as that of a phone. She switched it on, and swept the room until a siren type of noise made her stop. She removed the bug they must have placed in the room to listen to her and crushed it. She continued sweeping for bugs and cameras until she was sure that everything was okay. The time she had wasted was enough to have a lot of rest. Her father was right: she shouldn't be rash.
At the thought of her father, she drooled off as she wondered where he was. Etyes' authority didn't give her the chance to communicate with the outside world. Even when she was still the best among her peers, and was surely better than any of the superiors, they still restricted her movement to Etyes, making it her twelfth year there. If she got to the top of the chain, she would be able to transport more of her people into this world. But for now, only those at the top of the chain could go through that door without being given a dose of the sleeping insulators. She pinged her father again but he didn't reply.
Her latest invention had given her the access to put herself within the message board of anybody she wanted. She entered her code, and hacked into Sonia's board.
'Sonia, plug in your earpiece'.
Sonia smirked as she plugged her earpiece. She pressed a button and a cone covered the chair.
'What are you doing here?' Sonia asked
'I need to know the progress of my three...'
Sonia glanced at the screen.
'She just got to her 9th lap and he is about to start his 9th', Sonia said.
'That's good! She would be done with her first half for today'.
Sonia gave her a curt look. 'And you seriously believe she would do just 10 laps? Was that how I became your baby...?'
Diana rolled her head. 'I've spoilt you. My dad said he would send something through her to me'.
'And how are you sure she's with it?'
'That's what I need to know'.
Sonia stared at her.
'Could she have misplaced it?'
Sonia still stared at her, and Diana laughed as she realized why Sonia was staring at her.
'Of course, I know they would be stripped off every possession. I need you to make her do something. This information is crucial to my group'.
Sonia stared at the time. 'How about if I send her to you?'
'No. They are monitoring her progress...'
'Okay... Parades are coming', Sonia said and smirked and shook her head. 'You see what you've done'.
'Be careful'.
Diana's image popped off. Sonia can take care of herself. If Sonia agreed to join the rebel, things will make sense and go smoothly, if not exceedingly fast. That was why her aim was to make Carl and Joyce her new recruit. They were worthy of being given that role and she would train them until the only thing they know how to do was being excellent in fulfilling her wish and that of the Grousters.
Slowly, she crawled into bed. She needed sleep, lot of it, but her latest passion had consumed her that she could go without sleep for three days.
Diana traced the edge of the bed until she found a cracked wood. She pressed it and a button popped out. Firmly holding the bed, she pressed the button, and the bed began to disintegrate. Hurriedly, she slipped a pair of goggles from under her bed and clamped it on her face as the bed gently slid downwards. The spring holding the bed dragged it from under her, and left her lying on an iron plain-board. She cringed and gritted as the bed gradually returned to its original position, above her, leaving to lay on the iron board.
Suddenly, the ventilator began to hurry in its duty, silently providing air for her. As soon as the bed closed up over her, the wall in front of her opened and the board she laid on sprang through the hole. She would have yelled, but knew how stupid it would be. The road was sloppy. It took her a lot of time to carve it out. She held on to as it kept moving as if it would do so forever. The air changed from being fresh to being choky, then to being foul.
After what seemed like forever, the plain dropped her into the Punishment room, and disintegrated into a rail. She pressed the side of the goggles and changed its view to night vision to have it reveal a lot of weak, dirty, hungry people. She had so much learnt how to do this thing without fear and that made her smile.
Suddenly, someone dropped to the floor, convulsing. The most unfortunate part of being in the punishment room was that there wasn't always enough food. They got their ration once a day. She still always tried to know the rationale behind the leaders keeping them in such place instead of killing them off. The person shook for some seconds and became still.
Since others around him couldn't see him, they could only muddle into themselves and whimper. She still wondered why the creator of Etyes made such an abysmal place. The stench down there was enough to kill them. How they even survived such horrible stench still baffled her.
She knew the protocol. They were always aware of such death as this, and it would be very good to watch them now. She had always wanted to be on the team involved in the pickup of dead bodies, but her boss wouldn't hear a word of it, always denying her of the chance to be a part of the team, when, according to him, she had a bigger role to play at the top.
She removed her goggles and removed the rubber that held her blond hair. They would recognize her anywhere. She scattered her blond hair over her face and waited to be sure they weren't seeing her. She had moved away from them as far as she could, but there was no way she could help what happened next.
Someone screamed. 'What's that?'
'What's that?' Another person shouted.
She put on the goggles and saw one of the men struggling with the foot of a soldier. He tried hard to make his struggle look as if he wasn't there. But he failed at it, raising the curiosity of the others. The struggle went on for a while. As much as she would have loved to be at the top of the game, to help them, but she maintained her position.
Not long after, the soldier smacked the man's head with something, making him crumple to the ground, wailing as he held his head. She wondered what would happen now that people knew something was up there.
When she was sure they were gone, she tied her hair into a knot and hoped to never have a reason to untie it again. She muttered, 'those mediocre'.
She would have to start oiling the hair to make it shine the best way only she could. After what seemed like forever, she got to the edge of the mountain-like place, and saw the one she came to look for. 'Okay, I'm here again'.
He jumped a bit and looked about as if he was a blind man.
'What do you want?' The man said after a bit of silence.
'You know what I want. Our men are having an operation and it's to kill your harlot cum girlfriend'.
'Don't call her that'.
'So, tell me what I need to know'.
'You've not said anything reasonable'.
She gritted. If she got the chance, she would have slapped him repeatedly. 'Tell me, what do we not know?'
'I can't tell you anything than for you to look for my mistress. Tell her to take you to my bar'.
'Okay, but is there any other way out of this place?, she asked.
He shook his head dejectedly. 'The only way is through the train and nobody have learnt to cross over my game'.
She sighed and rose. He held her with a shaky hand. 'Please, how's she?'
'She's fine'.
'Progress...'
'She's really good, and she is being trained by one of the best, if not the overall best'.
Diana rose and carefully moved to her departure ground. The big question on her mind was how she would get information to the outside world, wherever that was.

Diana is part of the rebel? Hmmm, didn't expect that. She's good, I must comend her.

Fazemood:
Diana is part of the rebel? Hmmm, didn't expect that. She's good, I must comend her.

She's an offspring of a lady called Rachael from my old series..

Divepen1:
She's an offspring of a lady called Rachael from my old series..

Wow, I didn't read that. Is it here on NL?

Fazemood:


Wow, I didn't read that. Is it here on NL?

It was here. I'll bring it back...